"It was on the second series," Cinelli said. "I blew right past the center. The kid barely touched me. I had my arm on the quarterback's jersey and the whistle blew. When the whistle blows (in scrimmages) you've got to get away from the quarterback. I tried to get away, and there was a massive pop."

The result was disastrous. Cinelli tore the ACL, MCL, meniscus and cartilage in his knee. Bones in the area were deformed. An MRI revealed small fractures in his leg from previous injuries that never healed properly. His senior season was finished.

"It happened in a single flash," he said. "My kneecap went out away from my body and the bottom half of my leg stayed straight. I tried to stand back up, and I couldn't put any weight on my leg."

Cinelli faced a three-and-a-half-hour surgical procedure. It wasn't until April that he was cleared to begin workouts.

Just two months later, the 6-foot, 250-pounder has made it all the way back. He'll be in uniform Thursday night for the Northampton County squad when it takes on Lehigh/Monroe/Carbon County in the 41st annual McDonald's All-Star Classic at Nazareth's Andrew Leh Stadium.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

"I'm extremely happy for him," said Pius X coach Phil Stambaugh, the reigning Express-Times Coach of the Year. "He rehabbed and now he gets an opportunity to play this last game. He's a great kid. That was a very tough situation, losing his senior year. If he played he would have been one of our top guys."

"For a while I couldn't even get out of my house," Cinelli said. "Walking was impossible without crutches."

Cinelli did put a positive spin on his misfortune.

"My PCL was completely fine," he said. "That's the only thing that was spared."

Cinelli, the consummate team player, regularly hobbled over to the Royals' practice field to lend encouragement.

"He was at practice every day except when he had to go to rehab," Stambaugh said. "He was still a leader, which is a big credit to his character and unselfishness. He's very supportive of his teammates."

Pius X lost its first three games last season but proceeded to win its next eight before falling to Schuylkill Haven in the District 11 Class A championship game.

"I went to as many practices as I could," Cinelli said. "Watching was painful, but I still got to be with them. I didn't really do much. I couldn't even carry the water, but I guess it meant something to those guys. There was still an element of joy seeing them get victory after victory."

Cinelli persevered through some tough times during therapy.

"In the beginning I had to stretch my leg in some directions it didn't want to go," he said. "I had to force it. It was extremely painful, but it all paid off."

Cinelli began a running and lifting regimen after he was cleared in April.

"I'm several months ahead of schedule," he said. "I worked hard. I still can't dead-lift. Besides that I'm capable of doing anything."

Cinelli will attend Lock Haven University this fall and hopes to continue his football career. For now, he's thankful for another opportunity to participate.

"I'm not going to lie -- I'm not what I used to be," Cinelli said, "but the fact I get to put the pads on and go against somebody one last time means everything. All I ever wanted to do was play football, and now I get one last shot at it."